SOCIAL SKILLS: INTERVENTIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS Presented by: Luke Anderson Tiffany Goodson Renee Rodriguez SOCIAL SKILLS DEFINED “Social skills are the specific behaviors when interacting with others.” Social skill deficiency is a defining characteristic of emotional and behavioral disorders. (Bullis et al., 2001) SOCIAL SKILLS DEFINED Disorders that show an impairment in social skills: | Conduct Problems | Mood Disorders | Anxiety Disorders | Autism Spectrum Disorders | Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) | Learning Disabilities (Rutherford et al., 2004) EXAMPLES OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIORS (Mash & Wolfe, 2002) RISK FACTORS – GENETICS | Twin studies show that a disposition to become anxious is inherited | Studies also show children may inherit a vulnerability for depression | 1/3 of immediate and extended family members of children with AD/HD are also likely to have symptoms | A major cause of autism is biologically based neurodevelopmental disorders | Subtle inherited brain dysfunctions can lead to learning disorders (Mash & Wolfe, 2002) RISK FACTORS – GENETICS | Children with conduct problems show lower verbal IQ than performance IQ y A specific and pervasive language deficit may affect receptive listening, reading, problem solving, expressive speech and writing, or memory for verbal material y These deficits may in turn interfere with development of self-control or an ability to label emotions in others, which may lead to a lack of empathy (Mash & Wolfe, 2002) RISK FACTORS – PERSONALITY | Early difficult temperament puts children at risk of developing later conduct problems | Shy-inhibited temperament is a risk factor for anxiety | Children with deficient emotional regulation are at risk for developing depression (Mash & Wolfe, 2002) RISK FACTORS – FAMILY ENVIRONMENT | Family problems are among the strongest and most consistent correlates of antisocial behavior | Types of family risk factors: y General family disturbances y Specific disturbances in parenting practices and family functioning y Both are highly interrelated y Low SES increases risk (Mash & Wolfe, 2002) RISK FACTORS – ADOLESCENCE | Cognitive Characteristics y Formal operational thought processes including hypothetical thoughts and ability to analyze possibilities y Self-awareness including tendencies toward egocentrism y Belief in invincibility fable and imaginary audience | Influence of peers on increase of antisocial behaviors y 52% of 8th graders and 80% of high school seniors have drunk alcohol y 44% of 8th graders and 66% of high school seniors have smoked a cigarette y 22% of 8th graders have tried marijuana, 41% of high school seniors have tried at least one illegal drug y 2/3 of all recorded youth offenses were committed with 2-3 peers (Berger, 2001; Mash & Wolfe, 2002) RISK FACTORS – ADOLESCENCE Increased risk for mental health disorders Disorder Prevalence Average Onset Anorexia nervosa 0.5-1% 14-18 years Bulimia 1-3% late adolescence Adolescent-Limited Conduct Disorder 2-6% peaks at 17 years Generalized Anxiety Disorder 3-6% 10-14 years Depression 20% 15-19 years Suicide Attempts 30% of those with depression first attempt: 13-14 years (Mash & Wolfe, 2002) POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF SOCIAL SKILL DEFICIENCIES | Students who are lacking social skills are at risk for: y Aggression y Peer rejection y Loneliness y Social dissatisfaction y Academic failure y School drop-out y Contact with the legal system y Substance abuse y Difficulty maintaining employment and relationships (Maag, 2006; Rutherford, et al., 2004) SOCIAL SKILL INTERVENTIONS | Social skill instruction should be a component of a group of interventions for students who exhibit internalizing and externalizing behaviors y Behavior Interventions | Primary (Whole School) | Secondary (Group) | Tertiary (Function Based) y Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy y Interpersonal Therapy y Medical Interventions y Group and Individual Counseling (Bullis et al., 2001) SOCIAL SKILL INSTRUCTION – PROGRAMS SOCIAL SKILL INSTRUCTION – RATING SCALES AND ASSESSMENTS | Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale, Second Edition (BERS-2) y (Epstein) | Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) y (Gresham and Elliot) | SkillStreaming y (McGinnis and Goldstein) SOCIAL SKILL INSTRUCTION – WHAT TO INCLUDE | The Steps Involved Vary Depending on the Program | Social Skill Instruction may include: y Definition and Guided Instruction y Identifying Situations when the Skill may be used y Both Positive and Negative Examples (Modeling) y Role Playing y Performance Feedback and Reinforcement for Skill use y Strategies for Transfer | Social Skill Instruction in high school should include job related social skills (Bullis, 2001; Rutherford, et al., 2004) SOCIAL SKILL INSTRUCTION – TRANSFER AND SELF MONITORING | Transfer of Social Skills does not always occur y Multiple periods in middle school/high school may make transfer more problematic (Rutherford, et al., 2004) | Self Monitoring y Self monitoring of social skill use may be a viable intervention in middle school and high school | Research supports the use of self monitoring with teacher matching for middle school students (Lloyd et al., 2006) SOCIAL SKILL INSTRUCTION – EFFECTS | Effects of Social Skill Instruction y Power Ratings | Prosocial Behavior = Small | Problem Behavior = Small | Specific Behaviors | Anxiety = Medium | Adjustment = Small | Cooperation = Small | Interaction = Small | Self-Concept = Small | Aggression = Small (Rutherford, et al., 2004) VIDEO EXAMPLE | The child in this video is listing several examples of antisocial behaviors | He is also demonstrating a teacher’s attempt at using the operant conditioning principal of positive punishment | The punishment is ineffective. This child may benefit from social skill instruction | http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1610270964458187900&q=bart+simpson&total=366&start=0&num=10&so=0& type=search&plindex=0 REFERENCES Berger, K.S. (2001). The developing person through the life span. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Bullis, M.B., Walker, H.M., & Sprague, J.R. (2001). A promise unfulfilled: Social skills training with at-risk and antisocial children and youth. Exceptionality, 9 (1 & 2), 67-90. Horowitz, J.L., Garber, J., Ciesla, J.A., Young, J.F., & Mufson, L. (2007). Prevention of depressive symptoms in adolescents: A randomized trial of cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal prevention programs. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 75 (5), 693-706. Maag, J.W. (2006). Social skills training for students with emotional and behavioral disorders: A review of reviews. Behavioral Disorders, 32 (1), 5-17. Mash, E.J. & Wolfe, D.A. (2002). Abnormal child psychology (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Peterson, L.D., Young, K.R., Salzberg, C.L., West, R.P., & Hill, M. (2006). Using Self-management procedures to improve classroom social skills in multiple general education settings. Education and Treatment of Children, 29, (1), 1-21. Rutherford, R.B.Jr., Quinn, M.M., & Mathur, S.R. (2004). Handbook of Research in Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. New York, NY: The Guilford Press..